Lisa Brefere

Chief Executive Officer

A renegade in the culinary industry, Chef Lisa Brefere was one of the first women to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978, paving the way for a new generation of women leaders in the field.
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While attending the CIA, Lisa sought externship experience and met great resistance in the job market. There were no women working in kitchens anywhere, and she was turned away again and again with the explanation that it was a "man's world." A year before graduation, through a reference, she was hired at the Greenwich Country Club and by the time she graduated, she had been promoted to management level as sous-chef. In 1980, she became one of the first female executive chefs at the exclusive Manursing Island Beach & Tennis Club in Rye, NY.

From this moment on, she began to blaze trails in the industry, making marks where women had not previously gone before. She was the first female to graduate from the American Culinary Federation National Apprenticeship Program in 1979, the first female executive chef for the Hyatt Hotel Corporation, one of the first women to cook at the esteemed James Beard House, a member of the USA Ice Carving team competing in Asahikawa, Japan, and notably twice competed in the International Culinary Olympics held every 4 years in Germany.

For 20 years, she has served on the alumni council of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, which consists of industry leaders from around the country. She was awarded the American Culinary Federation Presidential Medallion for outstanding dedication to the culinary profession and the Hermann Rush Humanitarian award for her selfless services during the tragedies of September 11. As an educator, she has co-authored several books, including "So You Want to be A Chef" and its counterpart, "So You Are a Chef," both in their 2nd revision, and "Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals," the # 1 rated industry textbook, which just completed its 9th revision. As an adjunct consultant for the CIA, she has lectured on nutrition, achieving financial success as a chef, as well as participated in many other high profile projects. Her passion for cooking is unquenchable, and she thrives on entering competitions and staying up-to-date on kitchens around the world.

In 2007, she became founder of CookingDistrict.com, the ultimate online resource for culinary professionals (with over 23,000 members). Lisa was dubbed the "food guru" of the Brooklyn Barclays Center, for which she created its celebrated food program -- Brooklyn Taste -- featuring 55 Brooklyn-based vendors. If this weren't enough to keep her busy, she is also part owner of the historic Pythian Market Food Hall in New Orleans, and was the visionary behind Long Island Taste, Nassau Coliseum's innovative food program. She is an active member of the Culinary Institute of America's Alumni Counsel, American Academy of Chefs (AAC), and the American Culinary Federation (ACF).
Lisa resides in Purchase with her family.

Frank Brefere

Chief Technology Officer

A website builder "extraordinaire" with over 40 active sites to his name, Frank is the ideal candidate to spearhead Gigachef's (and its clients') technological and digital needs.
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Frank is an IBM Certified Associate Developer who has deep technical experience in various facets of IT - hardware, software, administration, and network support. He also has a knack for learning new software and programming languages quickly, which comes in handy when meeting tight, multiple project deadlines.

Earlier in his career Frank enjoyed a ten-year run at PricewaterhouseCoopers, first as a Technical Analyst, then a Senior Technology Associate, and finally as Senior Consultant for his last 6 years where he managed implementations for a number of Fortune 100 companies.

At Gigachef, Frank is truly the "tech guru," building state-of-the-art commercial websites, web-based applications, and native iOS iPhone/iPad apps on behalf of our clients. He manages all staff technology needs, including hardware and software, and is responsible for server administration, updates, and security policy compliance with third parties. He also oversees all aspects of Gigachef's sister company CookingDistrict.com, including the e-commerce store, SEO, Google Adwords, and Facebook ad initiatives.

In his spare time Frank is an active outdoorsman, enjoying hiking, mountain biking, camping, and horseback riding.

Greg Deligdisch

Chief Marketing Officer

Greg launched his career in advertising account management, gaining experience on a diverse portfolio of global brands such as Procter & Gamble, Miller Brewing Company, The House of Seagram, Bolla Wines, Corningware, and T-Fal. He worked at DMB&B, Bates, Ogilvy & Mather, and NW Ayer, where he was part of the silver Effie Award-winning team for the iconic Right Guard "Anything Less Would Be Uncivilized" campaign starring Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen.

Greg then spent nine years at SOPEXA USA/Food and Wines from France, first as VP, Marketing & Director of Client Services, then as Managing Director of US operations. As MD, he oversaw a team of 25 specialists nationwide, and was instrumental in setting the US strategic vision for the Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, and Côte de Provence wine regions, in addition to a dozen or so other luxury French food/wine/spirits products. He then segued client-side into senior marketing/CMO roles at a handful of America's foremost restaurant groups (Patina Restaurant Group/PRG, Rouge Tomate Group, and Estiatorio Milos Group).

At PRG, he successfully launched several high-profile restaurants including La Fonda Del Sol (2 stars from The New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni), Via Napoli at EPCOT in Orlando, and the Diller, Scofidio + Renfro-designed Lincoln Ristorante at Lincoln Center, which was named "Best New Restaurant 2010" by GQ Magazine and awarded a Michelin star. At Rouge Tomate, in addition to his responsibilities at the eponymous Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, he spent four years closely collaborating with its founder to create SPE Certified, a revolutionary brand intended to change the way America eats by providing an independent, scientifically-grounded standard for food consumed outside the home. He was also holistically involved in the high-profile launch of Estiatorio Milos' latest outpost on Regent Street in London. Recently, as founder of a marketing/branding consultancy, he has worked with restaurant and food & wine clients such as KarVér Hospitality, Mangia NYC, Food52.com, and Especially Puglia, among others.

Greg was born in Paris and raised in Brussels, Rome, and Connecticut, and speaks three languages fluently. He graduated Cum Laude in Political Science from Columbia, and studied at Sciences Po in Paris. He's an avid world traveler who on weekends can be found in the Hudson Valley scouring farmers' markets, cooking, skiing, and playing tennis.